Aged care Residents’ Experience Survey expands to capture 20% of residents

Over 43,000 aged care residents will participate in this year’s annual Residents’ Experience Survey after the Australian Government announced that at least 20% of residents will be surveyed at each home.

Key points

• An independent third-party survey team conducts the Residents’ Experience Survey annually, talking to residents in government-funded aged care homes across Australia about the care they receive
• There are 12 questions asked with the responses informing the Residents’ Experience rating available through the Star Ratings system
• It is designed not only to offer insights into resident views and experiences of their aged care home, but to also hold providers to account for poor performances
• Previously, at least 20% of aged care residents were surveyed with at least 10% randomly selected from each individual home

This year, by increasing the percentage of residents surveyed at each home, roughly 43,000 aged care residents will participate in the Residents’ Experience Survey.

Residents are randomly selected and can choose to take part or have a family member or friend help them. The survey is held in private, without staff present, and results are anonymous. 

“The Residents’ Experience Survey is an opportunity for residents to tell the Australian Government what it’s like to live in an aged care home, including what is working and what needs to be improved,” states the Department of Health and Aged Care.

“This year’s survey increases the number of residents participating, with at least 20% of residents to be surveyed at each home. 

“The survey holds providers to account, it shows what can be improved and helps them to make their care better. Since the survey started in 2022, about 40% of aged care homes in regional Australia showed an improvement in their survey results.”

The survey originated as the Consumer Experience Interviews in 2017 with these early interviews part of regulatory audits by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s (ACQSC) precursor, the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (AACQA). 

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety marked a turning point when it recommended regular, independent surveys to assess and publicly report on residents’ experiences, shifting the focus toward a consumer-centric system. 

As a result, the government transformed the Consumer Experience Interviews into the Residents’ Experience Survey. When the Star Ratings system was introduced, the results from the surveys could also have a direct impact on public perceptions of aged care homes.

This system assigns aged care homes a rating out of 5 stars, with Residents’ Experience contributing 33% to the overall score. 

For providers, the information gathered is used to encourage transparency, connection and a commitment to quality improvement. The Department of Health and Aged Care shares a summary of responses with all providers via a Residents’ Experience Report with the intent that this is discussed among staff, residents, families and carers.

“The survey presents you with a valuable opportunity to understand how your residents feel about their care and to actively engage them in quality improvement planning,” the department’s provider guide adds. 

A random sampling methodology is used to select the residents who are invited to participate. The increase to at least 20% of residents per home will be an opportunity to gain more valuable insights from a larger residential care cohort. 

For homes with 12 or fewer residents, this means all residents are required to participate. For homes with 12-7- residents, between 12-14 residents must participate. As for locations with 71 or more residents, the minimum target will depend on size: e.g. at least 20 residents in a 100-resident home, or at least 28 residents in a 141-resident home.

More information regarding sampling and provider targets is available in the Residents’ Experience Survey: A guide for providers. Other useful information is available on the department’s Residents’ Experience survey homepage.